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Saturday, 4 September 2010

cheery cheeks

Moths have great names. Not a very reputable reason for classifying them, but nonetheless I have a soft spot for the Rosy Rustic on that account. Ok, it's basically yet another middle-sized, largely brown British moth, but its name always puts me in mind of scenes such as Bruegel's Peasant Wedding, above. It arrives regularly as Autumn approaches; last year, I welcomed it with a pub sign of a merry ploughboy.

Other modest but interesting overnighters included this Shuttle-shaped Dart with its distinctive wing mark. Personally, I would have called it the Needle's Eye Moth, but shuttles are good too - and a familiar motif in my part of the world, specially flying ones, appropriately enough. Alas, this is the sort of moth a lot of people don't like: small, dull, hairy and superficially boring. Poor thing. There are lots of people like that, who on closer acquaintance turn out to be fascinating.

And here's the opposite: a Riband Wave, delicate, pretty and fascinatingly variable. A couple or more come to the trap every night, but this one has a particularly distinctive riband wrapped round its pastel skirt.

2 comments:

Hey Martin - greetings from la campagne rustique francaise. I was sitting on my front step last night when I heard a mighty sound - like a giant moth? - and grabbed my camera just in time to shoot the picture which appears on my little photo blog: leschosesquotidiennes.blogspot.com/. Usually I don't encourage visitors, since it is mostly to show stuff to the folks back home and not generally very interesting but do take a look! I couldn't quite believe my eyes! xxs

Fantastique alors! Penny, Dilys and I are admiring le birdhomme in a cafe on our way to a niece's wedding in Cambridge. P & D are off to Les Pays Bas while I'm bringing my Mum in two weeks' time to...La belle France! Paris ici nous come. Maybe see you there - sent email to Delhi x all of us Did the birdman land for a cup of tea (or glass of wine)?

HELLO EVERYONE!

This is a blog about moths recorded and released in gardens in Leeds (2008-13) and Oxfordshire (2013 to date). I hope that you find it interesting. Click on the three tabs above for additional info, including a full illustrated records list. All warm wishes MW